Official denies Monticello link to illegal dump

MONTICELLO — The village code enforcement officer said Friday that Monticello officials had no role in the illegal dumping at a site off Fairground Road.

Victor Whitman

MONTICELLO — The village code enforcement officer said Friday that Monticello officials had no role in the illegal dumping at a site off Fairground Road.

James Snowden said he and Mayor Gordon Jenkins were unaware the village's demolition contractor planned to truck debris from the demolished justice court to an illegal dump site just outside the village line.

On Thursday, state police and Department of Environmental Conservation police abruptly stopped the job and began an investigation at a site off Fairground Road.

Contractor Mike Soto on Thursday told a YNN news reporter that he was trucking the courthouse debris over to his property behind the Burwell oil company.

Workmen ripped down the justice court on Wednesday and Thursday.

The same contractor was called Wednesday to Broadway for an emergency job to tear down a 5,000-square-foot building owned by developer Tommy Ting, after it partially collapsed overnight.

"We never told Soto to dump there," Snowden said. "If he thought to dump illegally, that is on him."

Snowden said the village contract on the courthouse job was with Sam's Property Management.

Sam Kearney, of Sam's, was working the excavator. Snowden said Soto had an arrangement with Sam's.

Kearney and Soto could not be reached for comment on Friday.

Jenkins, the acting village manager, said earlier this week he hired Soto, a local contractor, for $5,000. "We followed protocols," Snowden said. "I had no idea he was dumping on that site over there. Our contract was very specific."

Jenkins is out of town and could not be reached.

As of Friday afternoon, an excavator was still parked on a large debris pile next to Village Hall. Snowden said he was attempting to make arrangements to remove the pile by early next week. He said it is unclear how much it will cost.

"Most likely, we will have to change contractors," Snowden said.

DEC Spokeswoman Wendy Rosenbach said the dump site remained under investigation.

vwhitman@th-record.com

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